What made you spend all that money on a motorhome (1 Viewer)

Jim

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Jul 19, 2007
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Many motorhome owners are no strangers to camping. Some have done the full apprenticeship, maybe starting with a simple ridge or dome tent, buying a frame tent, moving on to a trailer tent, then maybe towed a caravan and are now in motorhome. Others have taken a simpler path to motorhome ownership. But what made you do it?

For most of us buying the motorhome was probably one of the biggest purchase of our lives. A considerable investment in an item that is likely to lose money from the moment we buy it. A decision then not to be taken lightly; So why did you do it?

What so endeared you that you’d part with many thousands of £. Did you agonise over the decision, were you scared, did you wake up the next day full of buyers remorse or were you like a kid in a sweetshop.

I am re-vamping our buyers guide and your answers here about why you bought a motorhome will be much appreciated. Thanks.
 
3

32143

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To go off on an adventure after plan A scuba diving was taken away.
Didn't worry about purchase as we have form on impulse purchases, and had the money to spend.
Had it been finance most certainly would have agonised over it and don't think would have bought one.
Never camped, caravanned etc before, unless you include Nige for work, which was the extreme variety.
But used to confined living and extensive travel, look on it as a second home, but unlike past second homes we have owned this one can go wherever we feel like and if I had my way would be our first home. And the biggest plus the dogs can come with us.
Lin :)

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Jun 17, 2012
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What so endeared you that you’d part with many thousands of £.
Do you mean apart from being told to do so?

Had caravans 30 years, friend bought MH and told me tales of cheap French holidays, shut door, turn key and go. Getting too old to hook up, tow, set up etc.
Now retired so fits in nicely to absorb the spare time.
I am at the stage where I have health,time and some cash, spend it, enjoy it, then when unable, sell MH. The money hasn't been squandered away, just put aside!
 

DBK

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Convenience and spontaneity I think, in the sense of much less hassle on arrival at a site and much easier to tour in compared to towing a Caravan, which we have done in the past. The spontaneity aspect also includes the "I wonder what's down this road?" which is generally easier to do in a PVC of course than a larger MH although it can be done if you keep a look out for low bridges!
 

Big bus man

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Caravans are like tents in that once on-site you travel out and back again, with a motorhome you travel on rather than any travelling back. You may appreciate the hidden areas more by caravan but you see much further afield with a Motorhome. My view is it is a lifestyle choice rather than how much the units cost.
 
May 21, 2008
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My friend (yes another one, Geo) had an old Autosleeper on a Talbot van and I was quite fascinated, and asked her to take me away in it to see if I enjoyed it. I asked her to take me to Shell Island, which she didn't know, and where I had been tent camping in the 60s and really liked. I just loved the experience and that was that. I bought an Autosleeper Symphony from a friend (I have even more friends than this, Geo) and joined Motorhome Fun.
 

Forestboy

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Camped as a kid and teenager and even in the early days when the kids were very small. Then progressed to caravans then hotels as life got easier and finances allowed. By the time we were in our late 40s early 50s the kids no longer joined us and the hotel experience started to become stale the last resort being a holiday to Dubai. We stayed in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel which is an amazing hotel but we hated the whole experience it was all about horrible people showing off how much money they had and there was no atmosphere it was horrible. We came back and that was us done with that type of trip so we started looking at alternatives and the idea of a camper eventually came to us.
Personally I like camping in a tent and still go on motorbike trips with just a tent even today but Jans just not into it and a camper is the nearest she gets to real camping.
Had a camper over 10 years now been all over the world met some amazing people made lots of friends and visited some incredible places its just a nice way to travel, it doesn't compare to touring on a motorcycle but its probably the next best thing.

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D

Deleted member 29692

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Hired one to go to a music festival and was pretty much hooked from there.
 

funflair

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Done the sleeping in the car and bike sheds, tents and caravan but fancied a change and a motorhome gives us the freedom to travel easier and further on the continent especially out of season when Aires and Stellplatz are a godsend.

Yes we thought long and hard about the change from the caravan, and we didn't sell it for a year after buying the motorhome. Some people might say we are still in caravan mentality in that we pitch on a site for a few days and then explore by bike, which is what we like to do and always did with the caravan, but we also use and appreciate the ease of just parking for a overnight on a longer trip somewhere so really we have the best of both worlds.

We bought used 6 years old to minimise any potential loss if we were making a big mistake, which we haven't.

Martin
 

jumartoo

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Shivering in a tent in Font Romeu in 1994. We were invited into a Motorhome for a coffee and that was it. Returned home, swapped a Ford Escort for a Transit, had it converted and our motorhoming started then. Still working but got away as often as possible. 1998 packed up working. Towed a caravan with the camper until 2003 when we bought a coach built Motorhome and one Motorhome on still continuing.
 

Popeye

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Had a tent as a kid and as a young single man, never wanted a caravan so motorhoming started out in 1983 as the most cost effective way to holiday with a family. Two years later the children said they preferred the adventure of a Motor Home to a Flight and Hotel so we rented a 6 berth to accommodate my parents too and my two sons still talk about that holiday to this day.

A procession of small Motor-Homes followed mostly VW when Yachting holidays in the English Channel or Greece or Caribbean became our main focus when the children had grown and fled the nest.

I then became to ill to continue sailing seriously so our plans to sell up and circumnavigate the globe disappeared. Whilst still sailing in the channel and Solent we purchased our first 6 berth, then three years of use and more poor health gave us the realisation that a twin berth would make getting up in the night less of an interruption for one another. Hence our most recent extravagance. I assume our next purchase will probably be a 3.5 Tonne when approaching 70 or possibly a PVC. (assuming of course that I am still in the land of the living)

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Zigisla

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Brought up camping in a V Dubz split screen combi, then onto a Ford Transit Square box "Luton" then left home and started camping on my own in tents. Converted Girlfriend - now Wife to tenting. One particular miserable rainy weekend decided we needed more comfort with kids so moved to folding camper. Kids upped off and left, then a change of life style and want to get away more and not be tied to one site so upped for a MH. So far working very well - only two weekends unused since 18 Dec last year. Lovin it

Decided to buy New as this is indending to be our forever MH so loss wasnt a consideration. Also wanted to be the first and all the miles would be mine. Did years of research and finally we are fortunate to be in this position so went to the NEC in Oct 15 and thought what the hell - do it.
 
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Jenben

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Whilst out on walking trips we would quite often seen vans parked up in lovely spots and we thought we might like that. We were working and did some research on vans and decided to just go for it, we saved up and bought a brand new PVC.

Our friends thought we were mad but we quickly realised we liked the lifestyle it offered and have made some great friendships along the way. As a result, we cut down working hours and within 4 years had both given up work.

8 years on we still love it and late last year we went to Belgium to pick up our next van, lots more trips planned.

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Geo

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Jul 29, 2007
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My friend (yes another one, Geo) had an old Autosleeper on a Talbot van and I was quite fascinated, and asked her to take me away in it to see if I enjoyed it. I asked her to take me to Shell Island, which she didn't know, and where I had been tent camping in the 60s and really liked. I just loved the experience and that was that. I bought an Autosleeper Symphony from a friend (I have even more friends than this, Geo) and joined Motorhome Fun.
I seem to feature more in this post than the subject:eek: I dont know weather to be happy about that or feel dejected ;)
Anyhoo I did the full route from tents to self builds to caravans, all the time thinking one day a "Proper Motorhome" about ten years ago Id saved up about 8K and decided to go out and buy a new one lol:LOL:
A new one for 8k:rolleyes: I finished up asking where the bargain basement was, as these were all 20k plus for 8 year vans, he said "Your in it":sick:
So to cut a long story short I mugged old Ladies Robbed Banks then hit on the idea of buying a MoT Center so I could rob even more people till I had enough Dosh to get my dream
Im now in the throws of having to decide to stick with the gas guzzler or downsize to the Euro box at 78 Mpg and cheaper to heat
G
 

GJH

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We used to go tent camping in the 1980s but I had had enough of tents by the end of the decade, though Jill and the lads still used tents to do their civil war reenacting. I did offer to buy a camper van about 1990 but Jill preferred to keep the tent at that time.

In later years we started to fancy a motorhome but other expenses meant we couldn't afford one until redundancy/retirement happened in 2006. We did consider a caravan but neither of us has ever towed and didn't fancy towing so we bought our Autoquest. The intervention of Asda some 5 and a half years later meant we dropped lucky and bought the Burstner 4 years ago.
 
Jun 22, 2012
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Loved camping from the time I was a Girl Guide (we did camp with the Scouts!). Bribed Nick to start camping by the offer of cooked breakfasts, fortunately he loved it too. We had tents and a trailer tent but never tried a caravan. We decided we would try motorhoming when we retired, actually I decided but Nick is easily persuaded. The death of a close friend resulted in a "sod it" moment and within a couple of weeks we had bought a second hand Auto sleeper symbol, we traded it in on retirement for our new PVC and love the lifestyle. We have met so many lovely people it is just great. Posh camping really, comfy bed plus your own loo, perfect.
 
2

2657

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Camping in tents as a kid, teenager and adult, borrowed parents caravans and motorhome eventually bought caravan off my dad in the 90's.

Sold house in 2008 and bought 5'er to tour and live in along with static caravan in S. Brittany for part of year.

5'er now sited in Tavira, still got static in France and just bought Globecar PVC to be a bit more adventurous with the travelling, which we found very limiting in the 5'er, and travelling between our 'fixed' habitations.
 

maz

Jan 26, 2011
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Many motorhome owners are no strangers to camping. Some have done the full apprenticeship, maybe starting with a simple ridge or dome tent, buying a frame tent, moving on to a trailer tent, then maybe towed a caravan and are now in motorhome. Others have taken a simpler path to motorhome ownership. But what made you do it?

Somewhere to live. No, make that somewhere different to live. ::bigsmile:

I went in at the deep end and fulltimed from the word go in my motorhome. Never camped or caravanned before - nor had any inclination to do so. Coming up to 5 years fulltiming now and no intention of stopping. :Smile:
 

parknride

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We hired a "carefree camping" tent for 3 weeks in biarritz when the boys were very small. 30 odd yrs ago. Came home bought a frame tent. A year of that bought a caravan. Had a few of those then a rest of about 6 years we came back to it with a posh caravan with an engine. Put some of the retirement sum towards the latest van, didn't worry about cost we knew our budget and knew it was right for us.

I wanted a house in France, Les didn't & so argued his case that with the Motorhome we could put our own house more or less anywhere we wanted. We love it, but I still would love a house in France. :whistle:

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laird of Dunstan

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Im about to drop a load of cash on a MH , i could just about buy a rental property with the money,so why am i doing it? simples i love camping always have,when my kids and i get round the table and reminise about holidays,its not the expensive familly holidays in the USA and Canada that comes up,its the camping holidays when i asked why? they said it was the fact that it was always a magical mystery tour with you dad,we knew we were going to France but it could have been any where and that was exciting.
I started with tents,then a folding camper followed by three caravans ,i still have a caravan and a tent for motorbike trips ,but i have had enough of hitching up in a rush to get away for a few days , and the rough plan with a motorhome is to go on long tours , it was a choice between a boat or a motorhome , i have also done a bit of sailing
 

magicsurfbus

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We did the full apprenticeship (ridge tent > trailer tent > classic VW camper) over many years, in my case from age 16 onwards. We've only ever had one summer with a non-camping holiday.

Our house is quite small, in all honesty too small, but we've managed to bring a couple of kids up in it without having to upgrade, extend or take out mortgage for a bigger property, like many of our friends did. Money that might have been spent on making our home larger was thus saved. For various reasons we sold the VW camper when our eldest reached 16 and finished high school. It sold for exactly the same sum we'd paid for it 7 years earlier - zero depreciation.

The original plan had been to get a 'proper' MH when we retired, but we realised there was a window of opportunity to get one on a loan while the eldest was still in the 6th form, so we went for it and bought the cheapest new 6 berth model we could find, at a time when £/Euro exchange rates were good and the CI dealership was able to offer a discount (CI are Italian made). A decade later we consider it one of the best decisions we ever made.

Our mindset is that we've bought a mobile extension to our house. Some people will spend around £30,000 on an extra bedroom or a loft conversion, or move to a bigger property - we've managed in a small house and bought extra living space with wheels that we can take anywhere. It was fully understood that we would never profit from it, and that other types of holiday would be cheaper, but after a lifetime of cost-cutting camping holidays we were happy (and able) to splash out a bit. We're very careful with day to day household spending and have always been avid savers, but we feel no guilt about the occasional extravagance if the savings will support it.

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